Geneva woman charged in courthouse bomb threat

A 51-year-old Geneva woman surrendered to police Thursday on charges she called in a bomb threat at the Kane County courthouse in St. Charles.

Deborah K. Rohrwasser, of the 2100 block of Sheffield Lane, faces a Class 3 felony in connection with the July 31 incident, which prompted the evacuation of the Kane County Judicial Center, 37W777 Route 38.

Police wouldn't disclose a motive for the threat, which came in the form of a phone call to the probation office about 4:30 p.m.

Sheriff's Lt. Pat Gengler said the building had mostly emptied out for the day, but some services still were available in the probation department and elsewhere.

"It wasn't like we had any high-profile cases going on or major sentencing hearings," he said. "Really, the court business was done for the day. The timing was rather unique."

A bomb squad, accompanied by two K-9 units and several deputies, investigated for about four hours before determining there were no explosives.

"We tied up a significant amount of resources just to make sure the building was clear," Gengler said.

Rohrwasser, who faces probation or up to five years in prison if convicted, appears to have no previous criminal history in Kane County, according to court records.

Rohrwasser could not be reached for comment after her release on $20,000 bond. Her next court date is Friday.